Jon Joseph

Thanks, Darren, for another most enjoyable read. It isn't easy putting together a schedule for 18 teams that cover four time zones. Seeming inequities in scheduling will happen. But compared to playing eight B1G teams in a row without an idle week, this year's schedule is a piece of cake. Every team and its fans have scheduling beefs. Ohio State and its fans feel dumped on having to kick off so often at noon. IMO, both teams being idle the week before playing one another is not hurting one team or the other. The only egregious game on the schedule is having to play Minnesota on a Friday night after playing at Iowa. However, this gives OBD one more day to prepare for USC. The B1G did not schedule OBD's game against Beavis in Week 4. Oregon, like Penn State, could have avoided playing a game in Week 4. Maybe this is a reason why OBD's D ran out of gas in the 4th quarter, but a win cures all concerns. One of the very few times I have been disappointed in Dan Lanning is his joining the LA crowd, beefing about rather than embracing the challenge of the schedule. Four of 18 teams are located in the Pacific time zone. Scheduling stuff is going to happen. Don't Let Mendoza Cross the Line! Put Out That Cig!

Friend Solar, there is risk, of course. However, with a 95% equity stake in Big Ten Enterprises, I believe Tony Petitti and his advisers have mitigated the risk. How is a 5% stake holder going to call the shots? I also note that Microsoft, Google, and Apple start ups were all funded with private equity. The financial world opined that Microsoft and its idea of personal computers would never work. Microsoft came close to taking down IBM. If this deal happens as was the case with the Big Ten Network, others will follow suit.

Gat, I'm not saying anyone's concerns about a new enterprise aren't warranted. But how does a 5% equity holder tell the other 95% what they have to do? The format of the newly formed Big Ten Enterprises will own 95% of the equity. In 2007, B1G commissioner Jim Delaney had an idea. The conference would start its own network dedicated solely to the broadcast and coverage of a single conference's athletics. He convinced Fox to provide 61% of the new venture's start-up capital. Delaney, the Big Ten, and Fox were laughed at and skewered coast to coast over an insane idea that would be a disaster for the conference and Fox. I'm pretty sure Jim, the B1G, and Fox got the last laugh.

A $40 billion valuation. $2 billion for 5% which reverts to the conference in 2047. The conference retains management of its own affairs. How does a 5% owner of a to-be-formed Big Ten Enterprises have the power to run and ruin the conference now or in the future? It doesn't. The goal is to keep the conference together and not have to look at partnerships with teams from other conferences to raise the operating cash to compete for championships. To have the money on hand to avoid draconian cuts to athletic departments and non-revenue sports. I, too, have worked with private equity businesses. I'm certain Tony Petitti has worked with private equity. They have their valuation experts, and so does the Big Ten. This has been a protracted negotiation. Petitti and his advisers did not fall off the last pumpkin wagon coming through town. They are not going to give control and the future of the conference away. How else do the critics of the proposed transaction plan on raising additional operating funds? The choice is the same choice every business enterprise in growth mode faces: incur debt or sell a slice of equity. The sports inventory has already been leveraged, and the Big Ten has secured the best return of all the competing conferences. The predicate, as Mike West noted above, that many people refuse to recognize: college athletics is big business. The B1G is the biggest in the industry. IMO, selling a small slice of equity for a fixed time is much more favorable than incurring long-term debt, and the goal of holding the conference together is worthwhile. A goal a conference commissioner should see as Job One.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner! We're No. 1! Ranking the 10 Biggest College Football Winners of September

Concerns noted and understood. However, the proposed deal gives the investor(s) only a 5% stake in the to-be-formed Big Ten Enterprises through 2046. If $2B buys 5% for a fixed term only, the conference, through 2046, is valued at $40 billion. Tony Petitti, the Big Ten, and the conference's investment bankers will not be hosed over. The conference retains all of its governance rights. After 2046, the investor(s) one twentieth interest ends.

I get your well-made point. But CFB is a hard beast to kill. According to Fox Media Analytics president Mike Mulville, CFB viewership is up 19% year to year and 36% over the last five years. Even amongst all of the free agent transfer portal chaos and pay-for-play concerns, CFB is a growth industry.

$2 billion for media rights extension through 2046? For 100% of the media rights. Are the B1G media rights now pledged by all member schools through 2036, with the current media deal expiring in 2030? On the surface, the deal appears to be thin, no? Future media deal projections estimate each school receiving up to $100 million a year in revenue distributions beginning in 2031. If the new deal runs through 2036, that's $600 million a member, $10.8 billion total. But, wait a minute ... As Pete Thamel's article on ESPN notes, the equity share payment to each member would be tiered; Northwestern would not receive the same share as Ohio State. And the entity infusing the capital would own 5%, one twentieth, of Big Ten Enterprises. The conference would remain in control of its business affairs. Now, the potential deal makes more sense. I trust Petitti and the Big Ten's investment bankers not to get taken advantage of. So-called 'Expert Journalists,' excluding Pete Thamel, whose article is explanatory rather than critical, opining that this is another bad idea from the B1G, are again clueless. (We will see an AQ PO format and PO expansion, probably sooner than later.) Tony Petitti's goal is to keep the Big Ten together as a holistic enterprise; no need to form a Super Conference. No need to leave any program behind, while also taking into consideration that not all members, when it comes to the bottom line, are equal. Coming from a media background, another likely goal of Petitti is to own and control Big Ten broadcasts, including when football games kick off. The B1G and other big-time college sports conferences and teams will continue to seek out new revenue sources. As the conference with the most revenue, the B1G is in the driver's seat.

Thus, OBD or TOSU's 1st loss will happen on 12/6/25 in Indianapolis in the B1G champ game. If this were to happen, the winner would have a 1st round PO bye, as would the loser. The winner plays in the Rose Bowl against the winner of the No. 12 seed at the No. 5 seed, and the loser likely plays in the Cotton Bowl against No. 7 at No. 10, or No. 11 at No. 6.

REFUND!

Trojans Wire - Dante Moore is the best QB in CFB! WOW! I have to keep reminding myself that Dante is but 20 years old! https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2025/09/30/usc-football-again-middle-pack-big-ten/86432632007/?utm_source=smg-trojanswire-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SM

Week 5's Top 10 most-watched games. 20 teams - 7 SEC, 6 B1G, 4 ACC, 2 B12, 1 Independent. On3College Football TV Ratings: Top 10 most-watched games of.... OBD is a B1G draw. Another good showing for the SEC and ABC/ESPN. Notre Dame, again, shows why it is expansion candidate No. 1 plus.

This will be the NFL's 40th game played in London. Want to wager a Bob and a Quid? Browns +3.5. AP NewsBy the Numbers: After mudfest in 2007, NFL's game count i...The NFL will reach a milestone Sunday when the Minnesota Vikings face the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Gabe, Blow Your Horn! In London? Hopefully, the site of Gabe's 1st start will one day be the answer to a trivia question. 👌👍😁 AP NewsRookie Dillon Gabriel named Browns starting QB after Joe...Rookie Dillon Gabriel will get his first NFL start on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns face the Minnesota Vikings in London.

Think back to the days before Joey was posted in Times Square. OBD may have been the model program for umbrella sales, even though It Never Rains in Autzen Stadium, and that's about it. Chad, being the QB this time around, speaks volumes as to how far the Oregon brand has come. I haven't and probably won't watch, but I imagine Chad is just as good, if not better than Eli and Peyton's nephew? 🤪

Mike, yet again, your in-depth analysis is spot on! You, Charles, and others bring an in-depth evaluation to this great Forum that I cannot. So thank you, my friend, and all of the other Forum Fanatics 😁who have the X+O knowledge and the talent to go deeper into this great game. PS - Looking at the UGA D in 2025, should Kirby think about closing The Mint? 🙃

The man has won everywhere he has coached. In 14 years of being a head coach, he has never had a losing season. His father, Frank Cignetti, Sr., coached at Indiana University, Pennsylvania (IUP), and West Virginia, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Curt was a valued assistant for Nick Saban at Bama. He took a huge pay cut when he left Bama to coach IUP. As he has said, he made a bet on himself, which turned into an $8 million a year deal at Indiana. He took the 'losingest program' in CFB to the PO in 2024, and has the Hoosiers in the PO hunt in 2025. Many experts predicted his team would regress this season. I believed and so opined that this Indiana team could be this season's Indiana. It looks like this team is better than last season's PO team. It is better on both LOS. As a P4 head coach, Cignetti has two losses. On the road against Natty champ Ohio State, and on the road at Natty runner-up Notre Dame; 0-2 against two top 10 opponents. Only two B1G coaches have winning records against top 25 opponents: Danno and Ryan Day. Many of Dan Lanning's and Ryan Day's B1G wins have come against teams that finished .500 or lower. A program like James Madison, now a Sun Belt member, will have many losses against P4 teams out of conference (OOC), as will the other conference members. When Cignetti coached JMU before it moved up to the FBS, he defeated many FCS top 25 opponents. His teams with similar financial resources defeat the majority of teams with similar resources. Cignetti was drilled last season and this season for playing a featherweight OOC schedule. In Michigan's 2023 champ season, it played junk OOC, ditto Ohio State last season, and Penn State this season. After the loss at Ohio State, Texas posted home wins over San Jose State, UTEP, and FCS opponent Sam Houston State. Ole Miss has defeated Georgia State and Tulane OOC, plays Wazzu this Saturday, and plays The Citadel in the penultimate week of the regular season. As Cig said, he's only following the SEC OOC model. Comparative scores are deceptive. Nevertheless, last season, Indiana defeated a team that beat Alabama and blew out a Nebraska team that Ohio State struggled to defeat in Columbus. Do I think Indiana will defeat Oregon in Autzen? No. But OBD could struggle to cover the -10.5 spread. I think Indiana will hang with OBD into the 2nd half. I do not doubt that Dan Lanning is taking next Saturday's game seriously. This could be the only other ranked opponent OBD plays the rest of the regular season. Indiana will show up with something to prove from Cig on down. Fired up to hand OBD its first regular-season Big Ten loss. On 10/11/25, there will be more than a couple of future NFL players across the LOS, possibly QB'd by a 1st round draft pick. However 😁, Hose Down the Hoosiers! Put Out That Cig!

Back to School - 'You call this a report card!' 🤬 https://nittanylionswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/nittany-lions/football/2025/09/28/grading-penn-states-performance-against-no-5-oregon-in-week-5/86398264007/

As Jake Butt noted on B1G Today, Poncho keeping the O line in synch in front of that crowd was amazing. OBD's 1 returning starter on O came through! And how good is it to see 4* and 5* recruits showing up and balling out? As good as the pass D was, it will be going against a better QB and receivers than this Saturday. Man Handle Mendoza! Put that Cig Out! Dead Out!

'If you're good enough, you're old enough.' 😁 https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2025/09/30/oregon-ducks-rb-dierre-hill-jr-recognized-standout-week-5-effort/86427328007/?utm_source=smg-duckswire-strada&utm_medium=ema YardbarkerHow Oregon Ducks' True Freshmen Are Making Historic ImpactThe No. 2 Oregon Ducks stayed undefeated in 2025 and in Big Ten action following a week 5 double overtime win over No. 7 Penn State. The Ducks continue to see both individual and team success in the D

He'll be tied into the rookie salary scale in the NFL but that's still a whole lot of bread if he plays like this for the balance of the season and is a top 10 draft pick. And going pro gets the three year clock running on the next show me the huge money deal. He walks off after winning a Natty and it's all good. 😎

The idea is to eliminate antitrust concerns for the schools and the media. It's another attempt, along with the House settlement, to preserve college sports as they were before the introduction of NIL. I believe the state of Washington has a law on the books allowing NIL. Right, Senator?

It doesn't help the Power 2. It could help the ACC and the B12, in theory, if they went to the marketplace together. But why would ESPN and Fox pay more for inventory they already own? Texas Tech multi-billion-dollar oilman, Cody Campbell, who bought a talented roster for his Red Raiders football team, came up with this idea to save 'college sports.' A/K/A save Texas Tech football. Texas and Texas A&M are in the Super Conference, no doubt. Texas Tech?

Geo, likely a good call. But GameDay was in Norman for the Sooners vs. Wolverines game, and I think they could be planning to be on site for a Longhorns visit to Athens.

Thank you, Charles. Great stuff! A tip of the hat to Penn State grad Todd Blackledge. He was informative and at no time showed bias except for acknowledging before kickoff that he was excited to be back for a White Out. Some really nuanced and in-depth comments, including picking up the OBD OL communication as shown above. Todd was generous at the conclusion of the 2nd OT with his praise for Dante Moore and Dan Lanning. I think he did a much better job with this game than he did in Autzen last season, covering the Ohio State game. The odds shown above now favor Indiana ahead of Penn State. 🤪 Amazing. Indiana will be well prepared for the game in Autzen on 10/11. Cig acknowledged that his team was humbled on both LOS in last season's road losses to Ohio State and Notre Dame. He picked the portal perfectly to improve both LOS. And Mendoza is an improvement at QB over the very good Kurtis Rourke. The man has lost two football games at Indiana. One against the 2024-25 National Champion and the other against the 2024-25 runner-up, Notre Dame. Humble the Hoosiers! Put Out That Cig!